National Identity: A Contemporary Understanding among Liberal Studies Students at Universidad Metropolitana

Abstract

Venezuelan national identity presents a significant documentary gap in contemporary research. Based on the premise that identity is a dynamic construct shaped by sociohistorical contexts, it is argued that previous characterizations have lost relevance in light of current realities. Various studies indicate that collective identity is not a static phenomenon but rather one that evolves according to the historical and social circumstances experienced by human groups. Through a qualitative methodology with a hermeneutic-narrative approach and a social constructionist paradigm, this study explored the self-perceptions of students in the final trimesters of the Liberal Studies program at Universidad Metropolitana. The findings reveal a predominantly positive self-perception, where kindness and sociability function as core identity traits; however, weakness in work ethic emerges as the principal negative characteristic identified by participants. The analysis suggests a significant evolution in the perception of what it means to be Venezuelan, influenced by the migration crisis and the recent sociopolitical context. Overall, the results reaffirm that national identity is a complex, mutable, and situated phenomenon that is continuously reconfigured according to the social, cultural, and political experiences of each generation.